


The Most Fun You Can Have With Your Clothes On

by GeniaTheParadox



Category: RWBY
Genre: A lot of blushing, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Awkward Crush, Dom/sub Undertones, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Sibling Rivalry, and they were ROOMMATES, goth qrow/jock clover but like... grown up, i still don't know where i'm going with this..., oh my god they were roommates, raven/tai/summer is only mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:47:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22722682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeniaTheParadox/pseuds/GeniaTheParadox
Summary: Qrow lies to Raven about having a boyfriend, specifically his hot roommate, Clover. Who he happens to have a massive crush on.And now Raven is coming to stay for the weekend.Just Qrow's luck, right?
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Raven Branwen/Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 88
Kudos: 353





	1. A Little White Lie

**Author's Note:**

> It's been 1000 years since I actually finished a multi-chapter fic, and I've never written a Fake Dating AU before. But... Fair Game deserves this. Fair Game deserves all the fluff and awkward cuteness in the world, and I'm gonna try my damnedest to deliver. 
> 
> Work has been stealing all my brain cells lately, so don't expect regularly updates, but I do really want to finish this. And hey, maybe there'll be some smut at the end, since that's very much My Brand. 
> 
> This one once again goes out to the Lucky Charms group chat on Tumblr. And, of course, Fair Game Rights!!

“You're coming to _stay?”_

  
“Just for the weekend, there's no need for the theatrics. Honestly, you're so dramatic.”

  
“I'm not being dramatic! I just... I don't get why you need to stay here. Patch is only a few hours out of Vale, can't you just drive back home once you're done... _visiting_ , or whatever?"

  
Raven sighed down the phone. Qrow could practically hear her rolling her eyes at him.

  
“As difficult as it apparently is for you to believe, I actually want to spend some quality time with you, Qrow. _You_ were the one who fucked off all the way to Vale instead of staying with us, so forgive me for wanting to spend more than a few hours with my little brother.”

  
Qrow groaned. “Okay, firstly; I moved to the city because living with you, Tai and Summer was becoming fucking insufferable. I mean, I'm happy for you guys and it's great that the three of you are dating now, but I do not need to see my sister making out with her boyfriend _or_ her girlfriend when I'm trying to eat breakfast. And secondly; you are _five minutes older than me.”_

  
“And don't you forget it, little brother. Now are you going to tell me why you're really throwing such a hissy fit over this?”

  
“I'm not throwing a hissy fit!”

Raven pointedly ignored him. “Is it because of that new boyfriend of yours? Do you not want him to meet me?”

  
Oh, right... _that_. Qrow was glad that Raven couldn't see his face, because he could feel his cheeks starting to flush. 

  
“No,” he mumbled. “No, it's - it's fine...” 

  
“Then I don't see a problem.”

  
“But...” 

  
“See you on Friday, little brother!” 

  
Qrow fell back against the couch once Raven hung up, his face in his hands. Shit. God fucking damn it. This was not going to end well. 

  
Taiyang and Summer were two of Qrow's best friends, but once they both started dating his twin sister they became impossible to live with. Being stuck in that apartment with all that PDA was a nightmare, and Raven just loved to rub it in that Qrow was single, the ultimate third-wheel who hadn't been on a real date in years. It was probably one of Raven's favourite things to make fun of, along with everything else about him.

  
So Qrow packed up his stuff and moved out of their small town to the city of Vale, answering the first ad for a roommate he could find and getting a halfway decent job in a coffee shop. And it was fine. 

  
Or it least it would've been, if Raven hadn't kept on bugging him about his non-existent love life.   
And so... Qrow had lied. 

  
It was no big deal at first. He just made up a story about how he and his roommate had gone on a date. He had hoped that it would finally shut Raven up, but Qrow wasn't so lucky. He was never so lucky. All his lie had done was make Raven ask even more questions, and Qrow’s dumb little lie had snowballed. And now, according to Raven (and Taiyang and Summer, because _of course_ she told them), Qrow's roommate was also his boyfriend. 

  
And Qrow's roommate had no idea.

  
But that wasn't the only complication. Qrow's roommate, Clover Ebi, was... well... fuck, Qrow had the biggest crush on him. It was embarrassing as hell, but Qrow just couldn't help it. The man was gorgeous, just inexcusably hot, not to mention kind and sweet and funny in a way that was somehow equal parts cocky and adorable. And he was also kind of flirty, but Qrow assumed he was like that with everyone – he had never met anybody who winked so damn much. It had been easy to lie to Raven about dating Clover, because who the hell _wouldn't_ want to date Clover? 

  
But now that lie had come back to bite Qrow in the ass, just like he was afraid it would. 

  
Qrow was still trying to smother himself with his own hands when Clover came home from the gym a few minutes later, and Qrow peeked at him through his fingers as the other man went to the fridge in their little kitchenette to grab a bottle of water. It was seriously unfair how attractive Clover was. He looked like such a typical douchebag jock in his tank top and gym shorts, the kind of guy that Qrow and Raven (being the pretentious little goth kids they were) would have detested back in high school. But he was such a goddamn sweetheart that it was impossible not to like him – the kindness of his smile, the warmth in his bright teal eyes. Yeah, he was insanely hot, but more than anything Qrow just wanted to _be_ with him, wanted to kiss him and be held in his big strong arms and do all that romantic domestic crap that Qrow hadn't done with anyone in a very, very long time.

  
God, he had it bad...

  
Finally, Clover noticed the turmoil Qrow was in. He leaned against the counter with a distractingly sexy smirk on his face. “Hey, man, you doing okay?” 

  
Qrow dragged his hand down his face with a sigh. “Honestly... not really. Dude, I fucked up.” 

  
Clover's smirk was immediately replaced with a look of concern. Genuine concern. Qrow would never get over just how goddamn caring and sincere Clover could be, it was unreal. Clover came to sit beside him on the couch, and Qrow stared down at his hands, fiddling with his rings so he wouldn't have to see those eyes close up. 

  
“Qrow, what happened? Is there anything I can do to help?” 

  
“Relax, boy scout,” said Qrow, rolling his eyes but still not looking directly at his roommate. “It's not the end of the world, at least I hope it won't be. Listen, Clover, can I... I mean... I gotta ask for a favour. A pretty big favour.” 

  
“Go for it.”

  
Qrow took a deep breathe, running a hand through his hair and bracing himself for what was sure to be a hell of an awkward conversation. 

  
“Okay, so this is gonna sound ridiculous, but let me explain. My sister, Raven, is coming to visit me and she's insisting on staying here for the weekend.”

  
“Oh, do you need me to give you guys some space?” said Clover, sounding ridiculously earnest. “I can go stay at Elm's place and she can have my room, I'll totally get out of your hair.” 

  
“No, man, that's not...” Qrow groaned for what felt like the millionth time that day. “I don't need you to leave, quite the opposite actually. I may have told my sister a couple of little white lies after I moved here, and if she finds out she will literally never let me live it down, she will hold this over my head for the rest of my damn life. So in order for that not to happen, I need you to... pretend to be my boyfriend for the weekend.” 

  
Oh God, it sounded even more stupid when he said it out loud. There was no way Clover would agree to something so fucked up. It was Qrow's own damn fault he was in this mess in the first place, he should have just tried to fix it himself, should have just told Raven the truth instead of piling on even more bullshit. Of course Clover wouldn't want to be dragged into all this nonsense, there was no way in hell that he would ever agree to something so – 

  
“Sure, okay.” 

  
Oh. 


	2. Helping a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clover is actually into this. Qrow is perplexed, to say the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I published the first chapter like two or three hours ago. And now it's almost 1am and I have work in the morning but I figured I should probably publish this now, because go me for finishing a chapter! 
> 
> Don't get used to this, I am not consistent!! *finger guns*
> 
> Apologies in advance for how long it's going to take me to publish chapter 3...

“Wait – really?!”

  
Clover just chuckled. “Yes, really. I'm happy to help.”

  
“You're happy to help?” Qrow said, incredulously. “You're reacting like I just asked you to drive me to the airport. Did you not hear me when I said I need you to be my _fake boyfriend_ for the weekend?”

  
“Oh, I heard you,” said Clover. “And I said I'm down. You need my help, and I'm here for you, dude.” 

  
Qrow looked at his roommate like he's just grown an extra head. Part of him was relieved that he didn't have to convince Clover to do this, but another much larger part of him just could not fathom why he _didn't_ have to convince Clover to do this.

  
“Wow... you're actually serious about this,” said Qrow, almost a little bit awestruck. “You're really gonna do this insane fucking thing for me, huh?”

  
“Of course I am, Qrow. I'd like to think we're friends as well as roommates by now, and I want to help you with this. So, exactly what have you told your sister about me? Or about us, I should say. How long does she think we've been together?” 

  
“Er, not long,” said Qrow, fiddling nervously with the rings on his fingers. “About two months, I think.”

  
“Oh, I see,” said Clover with a mischievous smile. “So we're still in the honeymoon phase, are we? I can work with that.”

  
Qrow could feel the blush creeping up his neck. 

  
“So are we just dating, or are we sleeping together too?” Clover continued, way too casually. 

  
“Er...” Qrow was definitely blushing now. “I didn't go into that much detail but, knowing Raven, she'll definitely assume we're... y'know...” 

  
Clover looked as if he was enjoying himself far too much. “I can definitely work with that. Did you tell her about our first date?” 

  
“Sort of,” said Qrow, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. “I told her you came to my work one day after my shift ended and we had coffee together.”

  
“And then one thing led to another?” Clover smirked. “And you couldn't resist my charm?”

  
“Shut up,” said Qrow with an embarrassed chuckle. “You're not charming, you fucking dork.” 

  
“Hey, that's no way to talk to your boyfriend!” Clover laughed. 

  
Qrow wished he could stop blushing, but hearing Clover call himself that was... well, it was _a lot_. An annoyingly hopeful and uncharacteristically positive part of Qrow’s mind thought that maybe, just maybe this whole situation wouldn't be entirely terrible. No matter what happened, at least for one weekend he could have what he always wanted. He could have Clover... kind of. Sure, it was all bullshit, but he might as well enjoy it while he could. 

  
“So how do you feel about PDA?” Clover said. “I mean, we're in the honeymoon phase, is your sister going to expect us to be all over each other, or...?” 

  
Qrow cleared his throat, trying to keep his goddamn blushing under control. “She’ll probably expect it, yeah. She's dating my friends, Taiyang and Summer, and when we used to all live together it was a fucking nightmare. They were all over each other constantly, I'm pretty sure she was doing it on purpose.”

  
“Really?” Clover scoffed.

  
“Oh, you don't know Raven, it's exactly the kinda shit she'd do to me. When Summer and Tai first got together there were pretty chill about it, kept the PDA to a minimum. But once Raven got involved... well, my sister really has no shame. You don't wanna know the kinda things I walked in on...” 

  
Clover winced at the thought. “Ouch. So are you looking to dish out a little revenge? Show her how it feels to be the third-wheel for a change?” 

  
“Not, er... not exactly,” Qrow stuttered. “I mean... whatever you're comfortable with, man.” 

  
“You'd be surprised with how much I'm comfortable with,” Clover said with a wink – the bastard seriously _winked_. “I just don't want to overstep, you know? I want to respect your boundaries, and I don't want things to be weird between us once Raven leaves.”

  
“Right,” Qrow said slowly, trying not to sound sad about how temporary this whole situation was. Yeah, he wanted to enjoy this while he could. But once Raven left at the end of the weekend... then what?

  
Optimistic hope and soul-crushing realism continued to battle it out in Qrow's mind as the two continued to talk. They told each other a little more about their lives, just in case Raven decided to quiz them. 

  
Qrow told Clover, in as little detail as he could possibly get away with, about his and Raven's shitty childhood in the small middle-of-nowhere town on the outskirts of Sanus, about his slightly less shitty high school days at Beacon, about his failed attempts at being a musician, and the kind of friendship he had with Tai and Summer. And Clover, much more openly, told Qrow all about growing up in Mantle, about Atlas Academy and being top of the class (because _of course_ he was) and a high school sports star (because _of course_ he fucking was), and he gushed enthusiastically about becoming a personal trainer and all the friends he'd made at the gym he now worked at, only a few of whom Qrow had briefly met and immediately forgotten about.

  
But throughout their whole conversation, Qrow just couldn't stop thinking about all the many, many ways that this could all go horribly wrong. He had already messed up by catching feelings for Clover – who had met all of Qrow's lofty standards, such as being hot and not being an asshole – but trying to keep up this lie without letting his own stupid feelings bleed through was going to be exhausting. Not to mention having to do it in front of Raven. Qrow honestly wasn't sure he could handle this. 

  
“Hey, Qrow, there's one more thing we should probably get out of the way too. You know, just to break the ice.”

  
“What?” 

  
And then Clover leaned in and pressed the softest, sweetest, more heart-melting kiss on Qrow's lips, his hand cupping Qrow's face and thumb gently brushing against his cheekbone. 

  
Yeah, Qrow definitely wasn't going to be able to handle this.


	3. Practicing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow needs to learn to get close. Clover is here to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, I accidentally added some angsty past Ironqrow in this chapter. And, of course, I had to make General Jimmy kind of a dick in this AU. Because canon Jim is, well....... you know. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for all the comments so far, you're all making me very happy :)

It had been three days. Three entire days. And Qrow still wasn't over it. 

  
Clover had kissed him. It was the best goddamn kiss of Qrow's entire life, and no, he was _not_ exaggerating. He had been too shell-shocked to even kiss back, and when Clover had finally pulled away Qrow was still frozen like a statue, his entire face as bright red as his eyes. Judging by his earnest little smile, Clover hadn’t seemed to realise that Qrow's reaction was anything other than completely understandable surprise – as opposed to the total mental shutdown Qrow had just gone through because _holy fucking shit, Clover had just kissed him, that had really just happened._

  
“Didn't mean to catch you off guard, man. I just figured we should probably practice getting close like that. We need to look convincing when you're sister gets here, right? She thinks we're in the honeymoon phase, after all.” 

  
Qrow had only nodded, too dumbfounded to think of words. Clover had made a good point, of course – they wouldn't make a convincing couple in Raven's judgemental eyes if Qrow freaked out every time they so much brushed up against each other. But that fact didn't make the next few days any less... _overwhelming_. 

  
Clover was all in on practicing casual intimacy at every opportunity. He hadn't kissed Qrow on the lips again, but he _had_ kissed him on the cheek, the forehead, the back of his hand and the corner of his mouth several times. He had gently run his fingers through Qrow’s hair as he left for work, had tightly hugged Qrow from behind while the other was doing the dishes. He had started trying out different pet names, eventually settling on “babe" – simple, easy, and the one that made Qrow blush and trip over his words the least.

  
And Qrow just couldn't reciprocate. 

  
Qrow had never been the touchy-feely type. He and Raven hadn't hugged since they were little kids. Summer hugged him all the time, but she hugged everyone so she was allowed. In all his previous relationships, as few and far between as they were, he was never the one to initiate any kind of physical affection – his pervious partners weren't either, which kind of explained why those relationships had all ended so badly. He really wasn’t used to all of... _this_ , all this affection. It would have been overwhelming if Clover was his actual boyfriend, but the fact that it was all in preparation for a weekend of bullshitting his sister made it worse. He just couldn't get comfortable, no matter how much he wanted to.

  
“Qrow,” Clover said on Thursday night, as they lounged on the couch together, not quite far apart enough from each other for Qrow not to be a little bit on edge. “You really need to relax around me.” 

  
“Dude, I'm trying,” said Qrow, continuing to scroll through Netflix so he wouldn't have to look Clover in the eye. “It's just... it's a lot to get use to. Getting close like this.” 

  
“Getting close to me? Or... getting close to _someone?”_

  
Qrow rolling his eyes, scoffing dismissively. “We've been fake dating for three days, Clover. You're really gonna start psychoanalysing me on top of everything else?” 

  
Clover was silent for a second, and Qrow could feel those bright eyes staring at him. He might have started hitting the buttons on the remote a little harder than necessary. 

  
“Qrow,” Clover said slowly. “What was your last relationship like?” 

  
“Terrible,” said Qrow with a wince. “Thanks for asking. Can you drop this now?” 

  
“Tell me,” said Clover, sounding so goddamn earnest that Qrow wanted to scream. “What happened with your last partner? Why did it end?” 

  
Qrow dropped the remote on the coffee table and fell back against the couch with a sigh of defeat. “You’re not gonna let this go until I spill my guts, are you?”

  
“Nope.”

  
“You're so fucking annoying, d'you know that?”

  
“Yup.” 

  
Qrow sighed again, dragging his hands through his hair as he glanced at Clover. As predicted, the handsome bastard had a look on his face that was somewhere between sweet and caring, and smug as all hell.

  
“Okay, fine,” said Qrow, trying to sound like it was no big deal even though his stomach was starting to hurt. “His name was James, and he was an asshole. I guess I was kind of an asshole too, I was a very different person back then. We hated each other's guts when we first met, but that just turned out to be sexual tension. We still argued about fucking everything though, _everything_ was always a fight with him. Neither of us were real big on... _feelings_ , and all that shit. He was even more closed off than me, if you can believe it. He always made me feel like... I don't know...”

  
“Like what?” said Clover, his voice soft and encouraging.

  
Qrow shut his eyes as he leaned his head back against the couch, the image of his ex clear as day in his mind. “Like... I didn't deserve him. Like he was better than me, like he was taking a hit to his precious reputation by being with me. Real snobby, stick-up-his-ass Atlas type – oh, no offence.”

  
“Hey, I'm from Mantle, absolutely none taken.” 

  
“Right, well, the thing is... he... he didn't he really touch me. Not when we were in front of people. Hell, even when we were alone any intimacy between us was on his terms. So you doing all this, being all over me... I know it's fake, but still. It's a lot.” 

  
Qrow, of course, left out the part about this all being overwhelming because of his big stupid crush. Clover _did not_ need to know that. But he also wasn't lying, not even a little bit. His ill-fated relationship with James had ended two years ago, had crashed and burned along with the last scraps of his self-esteem. And, other than a few flings and one night stands, Qrow had been alone ever since. He had hit his absolute rock bottom when he and James had finally broken things off, and it had taken finally getting clean and reconnecting with Tai and Summer to actually start feeling like a person again. 

  
But then along came Clover, with all his gentle touches and forehead kisses and cute pet names. It wasn't _real_ , but it was real enough to remind Qrow of everything he had always wanted. Everything he had never had with James.

  
“So, is this why you're sister is so worried about you being in a relationship?”

  
“Oh, fuck no,” Qrow snorted. “Raven doesn't give a shit about any of that, she was off travelling when all that shit went down. She didn't even meet James, she only knows what I told her, and I didn't tell her much. Trust me, man, she's not worried about me. She just enjoys it when her life is going better than mine.” 

  
“Sure, whatever you say,” said Clover, not looking at all convinced. “Look, Qrow, it sounds like your ex really did a number on you. Getting over a bad relationship like that can be hard work, I understand. He may have made you feel like you didn't deserve affection, but you do, Qrow. You deserve all that sappy romance that you keep pretending you don't like. Your ex may not have appreciated you, but you're kind and smart and caring and capable. And you're going to make someone a very lucky man one day.” 

  
Qrow could feel a blush creeping up his neck, but he still scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right...” 

  
“You really need to learn to take a compliment, babe,” said Clover, chuckling as Qrow's face immediately turned red. 

  
Clover opened his arms and, with only mild hesitation, Qrow shuffled over and allowed himself to be enveloped in a tight embrace. He even managed to hug Clover back this time. Definitely making progress. 

  
“You done being my therapist now?” Qrow joked, trying not to sound too flustered as he breathed in the smell of Clover's body wash. Goddamn it, those strong arms felt so good around him. 

  
“Hey, I'm not your therapist,” Clover laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of Qrow's head and sending a shiver down his spine. “This weekend, I'm your boyfriend.”

  
Right. This weekend.

  
Only for this weekend. 


	4. Unreal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven is on her way. And sleeping arrangements are discussed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no inspiration to write for ages and my job was stealing all my brain cells, but then yesterday this entire chapter appeared fully formed in my head like right before I had to leave for work and I spent the entire day trying to make it comprehensible. My writing process is.... interesting. 
> 
> Thanks so much to everyone commenting, it's all very encouraging and sweet and I love you all :)

“I know it's a little short notice to be asking this, but... where's Raven going to be sleeping?” 

  
Qrow paused half way through wiping down the kitchen counter – it was maybe the forth time he'd wiped it down. The Qrow from a few years ago would have had a stiff drink or two to combat his anxiety, but now he just cleaned. He cleaned _a lot_. He looked up at Clover, who was standing in the immaculate living area wearing his best dark blue jeans and sleeveless green t-shirt, looking faintly amused.

  
“Oh, right,” Qrow mumbled. “I, er... I hadn't really thought about that.” 

  
Clover chuckled. “Seriously? She's gonna be here in about an hour and you didn't think about the sleeping arrangements?”

  
“I mean, I _thought_ about it, sure! But... I dunno, man. I've had a lot to think about the past couple days, shut up.” 

  
“Okay, well how about this?” said Clover, walking up to the kitchenette and leaning against the pristine counter. “She can have my room, and I'll stay with you.” 

  
Qrow tried to fight down a blush. Honestly, the amount of blushing he had done this week was fucking embarrassing. He couldn’t find any way to argue with Clover, as usual his logic was sound. They couldn't sleep in separate rooms while Raven crashed on the couch. But... sharing a room? Sharing a _bed?_ The thought alone left him speechless. His heart was beginning to race as he clutched as the damp cloth in his hand. Before he could really start to spiral, he felt a hand gently resting on his shoulder, anchoring him.

  
“Qrow, I didn't mean to freak you out,” Clover said gently. “I figured staying in your room instead of mine would make you less uncomfortable...”

  
“Clover, it's... it's fine,” Qrow stammered, trying to pull himself together. “You don't need to baby me, I'll be fine.” 

  
“Are you sure?”

  
“Yes! It's _fine_ , Cloves, we'll stay in my room!”

  
Clover smiled, squeezing Qrow's shoulder. “Good, good. I'll move some of my stuff in so it looks more like I've been living in there. Also... that's the first time you've ever called me Cloves.” 

  
“Yeah,” said Qrow, smiling in spite of himself. “So what?”

  
“It's just a cute nickname, is all,” said Clover with a smirk, his hand moving from Qrow's shoulder to his lower back. “I like it, babe. It’s a little more familiar. You're getting better at this.” 

  
Qrow rolled his eyes, feeling surprisingly at ease as Clover got closer to him. The incredibly soft look on Clover’s face was almost too much to look at, but Qrow just couldn't bring himself to look away. Just a few days ago Qrow would have been a blushing, stuttering mess to have Clover looking at him like that, but now... having Clover's strong hand resting on his lower back like it belonged there, looking at him with that mix of warmth and playfulness. It was _a lot_ , but it felt so nice. So safe.

  
“Can I...” Clover whispered slowly. “Is it okay if I kiss you again?” 

  
Qrow was definitely blushing now, but he still smiled and nodded. “Yeah... yeah, you can kiss me.” 

  
Their second kiss was just as heart-melting as the first, but somehow even better. Qrow was actually ready for it this time, and rather than freezing up he managed to kiss back. Clover sighed – he seriously _sighed_ – when he felt Qrow kiss him back, the hand that wasn't on Qrow's lower back coming up to cup his face, his thumb stroking the scruff on his jaw. Qrow wasn't sure what to do with his hands, but eventually settled on resting them on Clover's chest. And goddamn, Clover's chest was so solid. 

  
Qrow wished more than anything that this was real, that this incredible kiss wasn't just practice for their weekend of lying. Standing there in their kitchen, holding each other, kissing like there was nothing they would rather be doing, it all just felt so... _right_.

  
But it wasn't real. And Qrow couldn't let himself forget that. He pushed Clover away, pretending not to notice the sad little look on the other man's face as he put a little bit of distance between them. It wasn't real. _It wasn't real_.

  
“We should, er... we should start moving your stuff to my room. Raven will be here soon.”

  
“Right, yeah. Of course.”

  
They got to work making Qrow's bedroom look more like _their_ bedroom, the awkwardness of earlier disappearing surprisingly quickly as Clover started asking questions about all of Qrow's stuff. Qrow's bedroom was the smaller of the two, so even though it was ridiculously clean it was also very cluttered. He had a lot of posters of his favourite rock bands and musicians, tatty but well organised notebooks full of song lyrics, shelves almost overflowing with books and video games and movies, and his pride and joy on a stand in the corner – his beautiful black and red electric guitar, which he had named Harbinger. Qrow talked for a good while when Clover brought that up, Harbinger was his baby, after all. 

  
On top of his dresser, beside a few nerdy figurines, his hair products, eyeliner pencils and black nail polish (once a goth kid, always a goth kid, even if he was getting dangerously close to the age of thirty), was a single framed photo. It was from back in high school, of himself, Taiyang, Summer and Raven. It was the only photo of Raven he actually had, they had never been ones to do the whole family photo thing. 

  
Clover picked it up as they were making space in the drawers for some of Clover's clothes, taking a closer look at the four young, smiling faces. 

  
“So this is, Raven, huh?” 

  
“Yup,” said Qrow, folding Clover's sleeveless shirts in the special way he had seen on TV so that they would all fit neatly in the drawers. “And that’s Summer and Tai next to us, we took that right before graduating from Beacon.”

  
“I know this shouldn't be surprising, since you're twins and everything, but you two look so much alike.” 

  
Qrow laughed out loud at that. Obviously there were genetic similarities, but really he and Raven didn't look much alike at all. Or rather, Qrow looked like a worse version of Raven. Her eyes were a startling, bright blood red, the kind you couldn't help but notice, while his were a little lighter and less interesting. Her skin was a pale, perfect white, while he was a little more tanned and tired. Her long, thick, unruly hair was jet black, while his had started going prematurely grey when he was about seventeen and now just looked kind of dusty. Yeah, she was five minutes older than him, but everyone always assumed she was his little sister. Like, little by _a lot_. “Yeah, I don't see it.” 

  
Clover just shook his head as he put the picture back. “Whatever, you know I'm right.”

  
Before Qrow could argue back, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He struggled to fish it out of his skinny jeans and unlocked it, immediately cringing when he saw the new message.

  
_I'm outside your building. Be a good baby brother and come help me with my bag xx_

  
“Shit,” Qrow grumbled, already feeling a headache coming on. “She's here.”

  
Clover clapped his hands together, looking excited and a little nervous, but mostly excited. “Alright, babe! Lets get this show on the road!” 

  
Qrow groaned. He was definitely getting a headache


	5. Take It As A Compliment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven really knows how to get under Qrow's skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You should expect all this slow burn mutual pining to go on for a while, mostly because I really don't know where I'm going with this fic. Nobody knows when all this suffering will end, least of all me.

“I see you've been stress cleaning. Were you really that nervous to see little old me?”

  
“I wasn't stress cleaning, I just _cleaned.”_

  
“I can't believe this tiny little apartment is what you ran away from Patch for.”

  
“Y'know, it's not to late to just stay in a hotel if you already hate this place so much.”

  
“No, no, you're not getting rid of me that easy, little brother. Although, to be fair, a hotel room _would_ be more spacious than this...” 

  
Qrow groaned and rolled his eyes, throwing himself on the coach. She had been here for two minutes. How had she only been her for two minutes? “Is this weekend over yet?”

  
“Nice to see you too, Qrow,” said Raven, continuing to look around the admittedly very small apartment with an arched eyebrow. 

  
“You'll be staying in my old room, Raven,” said Clover kindly, putting down her heavy suitcase. “I hope you'll be comfortable, if you need any extra sheets or pillows just let me know.”

  
“Calm down, boy scout, I'm sure I'll survive,” said Raven, finally giving Clover a good once over. “You're really not what I was expecting.”

  
Clover laughed a little nervously. “And what were you expecting?”

  
“Well, Qrow doesn't like to tell me things,” said Raven, smirking as Qrow groaned again. “When I finally got it out of him that he was dating his roommate, he wasn't kind enough to tell me much about you... or what you looked like. Didn't even show me a photo, although I can see for myself why he would be so possessive.”

  
Qrow glared at his sister. He knew that tone of voice and he definitely wasn't happy about it. “Raven, can you fucking not?”

  
“What?” said Raven, failing to look innocent. 

  
“You know what!” 

  
“You should take it as a compliment.”

  
“I don't!”

  
“I'm just being nice!” 

  
“You’re being gross!”

  
“God, you're _so_ dramatic...”

  
“I'm not being dramatic!”

  
Their bickering was interrupted by Clover clearing his throat. Honestly, Qrow had almost forgotten that the other man was there – Raven always had that effect on him, and fuck, he hated it. Clover understandably looked a little embarrassed. The blush spreading across his cheeks had no business being so cute, but Qrow couldn't really appreciate it.

  
“Sorry to butt in,” he said with an awkwardly little chuckle. “But, er... what's happening right now?” 

  
“Raven's flirting with you,” Qrow said bitterly. 

  
Clover let out a huff of quiet laughter, running a hand through his hair. “Wow, wrong tree...”

  
“Oh, I'm well aware,” said Raven, rolling her eyes. “And I wasn't _flirting_ , I was just saying...”

  
“I know exactly what you were saying,” Qrow grumbled before she could finish. “And you can fuck right off with that backhanded compliment.”

  
“Okay, okay, off I fuck,” Raven laughed, grabbing her suitcase. “I'm gonna go make myself comfortable, get out of my travelling clothes. Feel free to keep talking shit about me while I'm gone.” 

  
She disappeared into Clover's room, looking extremely pleased with herself as she did. Once the door closed behind her, Qrow put his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut and pushing down the urge to scream out loud. He felt the couch dip beside him and a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  
“That was... surprising,” said Clover, careful to keep his voice low so Raven wouldn't overhear. “She really knows how to get under your skin, huh?”

  
“Yeah, no shit,” Qrow mumbled with a humourless laugh.

  
Clover wrapped his arm around Qrow's shoulders. “Care to explain the backhanded compliment thing? I'm still a little lost.” 

  
Qrow sighed, resting his head against Clover's shoulder. “She was being all flirty because she thinks you're hot. Too hot for _me_. It's her way of saying she thinks you're out of my league.”

  
Qrow's insides squirmed as he said it out loud. Their relationship might have been completely fake, but that didn't stop it from hurting. Raven was always good at zeroing in on exactly what Qrow felt insecure about and picking at it like a scab. He had been afraid that she would immediately see through their lies once she arrived, but instead she had focused in on exactly what he would have been stressing about if Clover was _actually_ his boyfriend; that Clover was too good for him. 

  
Clover gave Qrow a squeeze, making him smile in spite of himself. “Well, that's just not true. I'd be lucky to have you. I think, all things considered, in this unusual situation we find ourselves in... I’m doing pretty well for myself. You have nothing to worry about, babe.”

  
Qrow felt himself blushing for the umpteenth time. “You don't have to call me that when she isn't here, y'know...”

  
“Yeah, well... I want to,” said Clover softly, pressing a kiss to the top of Qrow's head. 

  
Warmth spread through Qrow's chest as Clover held him closer, wrapping both arms around him, and Qrow couldn't help but cuddle back, burying his face in the crook of Clover's neck. It was dangerously easy to get caught up in this closeness, in the warmth and safety of Clover’s embrace. Qrow kept trying to tell himself that it wasn't real, that he shouldn't let his dumb crush cloud his judgement and get his hopes up, that he shouldn't mistake any of this for more than the stupid lie that it was. But then Clover was gently stroking his hair and holding him tighter, and he couldn't really think about anything anymore. 

  
“I can see how Raven gets to you,” Clover whispered. “But I'll be here for you this weekend. I’m not going to let her make you feel like shit. You won't be alone.”

  
“Thanks, Cloves,” Qrow sighed.

  
“Qrow...” Did Clover sound _nervous?_ “I... I need to tell you, I...”

  
The bedroom door swung open abruptly, bursting their peaceful bubble, and Clover and Qrow sprang apart in shock. Whatever Clover was trying to say was left hanging in the air, yet another thing for Qrow to worry about. Raven looked between their equally flushed faces and laughed. 

  
“Didn't mean to interrupt, boys. Or should I ready myself to walk in on you two canoodling every time I open a door this weekend?” 

  
Before Qrow could think of a response, Clover's arm was wrapped around Qrow's waist, pulling him close while looking at Raven in that way of his, sweet and smug all at once. 

  
“Well, I can't make any promises, Raven. I know it's a little weird to hear this about your brother, but it's kind of difficult to keep my hands off him.” The son of a bitch actually _winked_. “But don't worry, I'll try to control myself. The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable.” 

  
Qrow had to cover his mouth so he didn't laugh out loud at the look on Raven’s face. 

  
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.


	6. Goodnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's their first night together in Qrow's bedroom. Clover has something he needs to get off his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I started writing this chapter before the whole world shut down. You would think since I've so far had a week stuck at home with nothing to do I would've finished this chapter sooner but....... nope. 
> 
> I still don't quite know where I'm going with this fic, but I know I don't want to drag it out for too long. So maybe, possibly, this might be coming to an end soon... maybe? I don't know, I'll be the last to know. 
> 
> Anyway thanks for sticking around, guys <3

“Well, I've had about as much of the two of you as I can handle for one evening. I'm going to bed.” 

  
“Any requests for what I should cook us for breakfast tomorrow morning?” ask Clover, cleaning up their empty takeout containers.

  
Raven rolled her eyes as she stood up and stretched. “Oh my God, boy scout, do you have an off switch? Seriously, Qrow, how do you even put with someone so fucking _nice?”_

  
“He's not so bad once you get used to him,” said Qrow with a smile. 

  
“Aww, thanks, babe,” Clover cooed, pressing a kiss to Qrow's cheek. 

  
Raven let out a disgusted noise for maybe the hundredth time that evening, shaking her head at them. “There's no way me, Tai and Summer are as bad as you two.” 

  
“Oh, you guys were much, _much_ worse,” said Qrow smugly, his face flushing as Clover started to nuzzle into his neck.

  
Clover had been all over him all evening, in between telling some of the cute stories about their fake relationship that he had been work-shopping all week, and Qrow was honestly starting to love it. He was enjoying himself too much to even feel worried that Raven didn't believe them – if her growing annoyance was anything to go by, she was definitely buying it.

  
“Ugh, whatever,” scoffed Raven, rolling her eyes again. “Just keep the noise down, I have a feeling the walls of this little apartment are paper thin. And cook whatever you want for breakfast, boy scout. The Branwens are not morning people.”

  
Clover pressed one more kiss on Qrow jaw as the bedroom door closed behind Raven, both of them letting out a quiet giggle once they were alone. 

  
“This is going pretty well, right?” said Clover, helping Qrow to clean up. 

  
“Yeah,” said Qrow. “Way better than I expected it to. It's kinda nice having Raven be the third-wheel for a change, she clearly fucking hates it. You're really laying it on thick.”

  
“It isn't too much for you, is it?” Clover asked, a little nervously. “I was mostly just trying to piss her off, but if it's making you uncomfortable...”

  
“No, of course not!” said Qrow, maybe a little too quickly. “It's... it's fine, Cloves, really. I'm good, quit worrying.” 

  
Qrow quickly turned to wash up the dirty plates and glasses, mostly so he wouldn't have to see Clover's face. He wished that he hadn't sounded so damn eager for Clover to continuing being affectionate with him. He probably sounded so needy and desperate...

  
Suddenly a strong pair of arms were wrapped around his waist and warm breath puffed against the back of his neck – he nearly dropped the glass he was washing. They both let out a contented sigh at the same time as Clover hugged Qrow from behind tightly, pressing his face against his shoulder. This wasn't the first time this had happened, of course; Clover would hold him like this a lot while they were practicing. For some reason this felt different though, but Qrow couldn't quite put his finger on why. What had been left unsaid earlier was still hanging in the air between them, but it didn't feel like Clover was planning on bringing that up again. Instead of getting lost in his own head, Qrow simply leaned into the embrace, his eyes shutting of their own accord as for a moment, just a moment, he let himself get completely caught up in this closeness. He wanted to let himself just enjoy it for once.

  
“Come to bed,” Clover whispered. “We both could do with some sleep. I'll finish up the dishes in the morning.”

  
Qrow didn't hear a word Clover said after _come to bed._ In a daze, his put down the dirty glass and sponge and dried his hands, letting Clover unwrap his arms from around his waist and lead them to Qrow's bedroom. What the hell was happening right now?

  
That's right, of course. They were sharing a room. They were sharing a bed. In all the emotional upheaval of Raven being there, Qrow had almost forgotten that little fact which had almost sent him down a spiral of panic earlier that same day. _They were going to share a bed._

  
They got ready for bed quietly, giving each other about as much privacy as they could in the small bedroom. The tension was unbelievable, but that might have just been Qrow's skyrocketing anxiety. He kind of wished he had something nicer to sleep in than just a pair of old pyjama bottoms and an old punk band shirt that was several sizes too big and kept slipping off his shoulder. And it didn't help his nerves that Clover apparently slept _shirtless_ , just a comfortable pair of dark green lounge pants and nothing else. Qrow felt like his face was on fire, and got under the covers as quickly as possible. 

  
“Would you like me to put a pillow between us or something?” Clover asked as he got into bed. 

  
“Er... no,” Qrow mumbled. “No, it's fine.” 

  
“Okay, well... goodnight then,” said Clover quietly, turning off the bedside lamp. 

  
“Yeah... g'night, Clover.” 

  
They lay in silence side by side, just inches from each other in the dark, and Qrow knew there was no way in hell he was going to fall asleep any time soon. His heart was hammering away in his chest, so hard he was almost afraid Clover could hear it. He needed to know... 

  
“Hey, Clover?” he whispered.

  
“Yeah?”

  
“What were you gonna say? Before Raven interrupted us earlier. What were you gonna tell me?”

  
Clover let out a sigh. “It's – it's nothing. Don't worry, it was stupid...”

  
“C'mon, tell me,” said Qrow, as casually as he could even though his heart was racing. “It's always me spilling my guts to you, I think you're long overdue for an embarrassing confession of your own.”

  
“Fair enough,” Clover said quietly, with a nervous little chuckle. “I just... I wanted to tell you, I... I like being your boyfriend. I know this is just for the sake of your sister, and it's all fake for you, but... I don't know.”

  
Qrow felt like his heart was going to burst through his chest. There was no way he could have heard that right. “What are you saying?” 

  
“I'm saying I... I like you, Qrow.”

  
Qrow couldn't think of a single thing to say. It was like his brain had short circuited. There was absolutely no fucking way he could have heard that right. Of course not. It couldn't be. 

  
“I'm sorry,” Clover murmured.

  
“Wait – why are you apologising?”

  
Clover let out a sad sigh. “Clearly I've overstepped. It was stupid of me to even agree to this in the first place. I've had this dumb crush on you since you moved in and I feel like such a selfish jerk for taking advantage of this whole situation. I mean, obviously I wanted to help you, you're my friend first and foremost. But I also just wanted to _be_ with you, even if it was fake, even if you were just pretending. But I can't lie anymore, you know? It feels wrong. I'm sorry for making things weird.” 

  
Qrow suddenly burst out laughing, surprising them both. He sat up and reached over to turn the lamp back on, still laughing a little hysterically. Clover sat up too, worry and confusion etched across his face.

  
“Er... what’s so funny?”

  
Once his laughter subsided, Qrow looked at Clover with the giddiest smile, right into those gorgeous teal eyes he had fallen in love with all those months ago. He reached for the back of Clover's neck and pulled him into a gentle kiss – the first kiss he had ever initiated, the first kiss he had ever truly _meant_ – and smiled once they separated. Clover's look of confusion had quickly been replaced with one total awe, and it made Qrow's heart swell with fondness.

  
“Goddamn it, Cloves. We are both so stupid.” 


	7. Out In The Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow and Clover finally don't have to pretend anymore. Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So..... it's been a year. But, to be fair to myself, the year in question was 20 goddamn 20, so think I deserve a pass with this one.  
> See I work in retail, but clothing retail so it isn't essential. But that means that every time the UK government decided to reopen everything I had to go back to work and deal with people who don't know how to wear a face mask correctly, and then when the government realised how much of a bad idea it was to reopen, I'd be sent back home to go insane in my room for another few months. It's done a number on me. My ability to write was the first thing to go. My brain is soup.  
> But recently I reread this fic and the comments and remembered how much I loved it, and now I'm back baby! I sure hope people are still interested in this fic I abandoned for a year!  
> Happy Valentine's day!

“So... how long have you...?”

“You really don't know?” Qrow asked, incredulously. “I didn't think I was being that subtle, I mean I've been crushing on you since I moved here. I figured you would at least have noticed how much I blush around you.”

Clover smiled softly. “You do?”

“Yeah, dude,” Qrow scoffed. “Like, a ridiculous amount, more than I thought a human being could even blush. Especially since we started this whole thing.”

“I thought it was because I was making you uncomfortable,” Clover shrugged sheepishly.

“It's because I was freaking the fuck out!” Qrow laughed. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much. His hands were shaking from how giddy he felt. “I didn't want you to know how I really felt about you, I was sure you'd think I was a total creep, especially since this whole fake boyfriend thing was because of _my_ fuck-up. When you were getting close to me like that with all the hugs and kisses and stuff, I figured... well, I figured you were just a _really_ good actor.”

For once, Clover was the one who was furiously blushing. And it was possibly the cutest thing Qrow had ever seen in his life. It was so nice to finally be able to appreciate it.

“Not acting, just...” Clover ran a hand through his hair, so adorably embarrassed. “I don't know, wish fulfilment?”

Qrow’s face was started to hurt from how much he was smiling – it really wasn’t something his face was used to doing – and reached over to hold Clover's hand. “We are, and I cannot stress this point enough, _so_ fucking stupid.”

Clover laughed as he squeezed Qrow's hand. “We really are. All that time we wasted, dancing around the obvious. When we could've just been a real couple all along.”

This kind of good luck was unprecedented for Qrow. He honestly didn't know what to do with himself, but for once it didn't matter. There was no more room for anxiety, no more stress, no more pretence. He could finally relax, and Clover could too.

They leaned in at the same time for another kiss, and warmth spread through Qrow's whole body like he was sinking into a hot bath. One of Clover's arms curled around Qrow's slim waist while his other hand cupped Qrow's face, stroking his scruff as their kiss quickly deepened. Qrow shivered as he touched Clover's bare chest, letting his hands explore the hard muscles like he'd always wanted to do. It was unfair how soft his skin was, how addictive it was to touch him. They really could have been doing this _the whole time_.

Qrow fell back against the mattress, pulling Clover down with him, their kiss never breaking. He didn’t even have the brain power left to feel embarrassed by all the desperate little whimpers he was letting out, as Clover's tongue explored his mouth and Clover's hand slipped up his shirt to gently touch bare skin, leaving a trail of heat in it's wake. Qrow whined pathetically, like a puppy getting his favourite toy taken from him, when Clover pulled away to catch his breath.

“Qrow,” he whispered, chuckling softly as the man in question tried to chase his lips. “As much as I'm enjoying the hell out of this, I did want to at least take you out on a date first before we got so... hot and heavy.”

“Why?” Qrow scoffed, opening his eyes to admire the sight of Clover, flushed and obviously turned on, above him. “We had our first kiss before either of us knew the other’s feelings, we've been pretending to be a couple this whole week. Why go all conventional on me now, boy scout?”

“Well, I... I can't really argue with that.”

“No, you can't.”

Qrow shifted so he could wrap his legs around Clover's hips, pulling their bodies closer and running his fingers through Clover's hair as he pulled him into another kiss. Now that all the anxiety and the hiding was over it was like the dam had been broken, Qrow was brimming with the kind of confidence he hadn't felt in forever. Clover wanted him, no matter how much he was still trying to be a gentleman about it, Clover really _wanted_ him – if that bulge pressing against him was anything to go by. It made him feel _bold._

Clover was breathless as they parted again, his eyes already blown out with lust when they hadn't even really done anything yet. “Not to spoil the mood, but... your sister is in the next room. And she was right, these walls are pretty thin. I mean...”

Right, of course. In the heat of the moment Qrow had almost forgotten that Raven existed, let alone that she was currently only a wall away. And their apartment wasn't exactly soundproof – a little fact that had trained Qrow to be extremely quiet whenever thoughts of the gorgeous man currently on top of him would keep him up at night. As first times went, this wasn't exactly the most ideal of circumstances. Maybe they should just cool off, pick this back up once Raven was gone and they had the apartment to themselves again.

But then Qrow thought about all things he had been forced to overhear back in Patch. All the things he had accidentally walked in on. All the times he lost sleep because the squeaky bedsprings in the next room were being given a work out. All the uncomfortable mornings after, where Taiyang couldn't look him in the eye and Summer would nervously babble about nothing, her voice even more high pitched than normal as she desperately tried to pretend like nothing had happened, like she and Tai hadn't both been railed to within an inch of their lives by their best friend's twin sister the night before, while the best friend in question tried to sleep in the next room.

This weekend wasn't just about convincing Raven that they were couple. It was about giving her a taste of her own medicine. The smirk that spread across Qrow's face was downright evil, and made Clover blush bright red.

“Do I even want to know what you're thinking?” he asked, sounding both nervous and incredibly turned on.

Qrow bucked his hips, grabbing onto a handful of Clover's hair and tugging slightly. Clover let out a quiet but absolutely delicious noise that was somewhere between a gasp and moan – Clover liked getting his hair pulled, huh? Interesting.

“Oh, I get it,” said Clover, with a smirk to match Qrow's. “Feeling a little vengeful, are we, babe?”

Qrow shrugged one shoulder, feigning innocence. “I don’t know what you're talking about. But if you'd rather wait until after Raven goes back to Patch and just get some sleep tonight instead, I don't mind. I'm sure we could both hold out until she's gone, it's only until Sunday. And I mean, if you don't think you could manage being quiet, then...”

Qrow’s teasing was cut off by a pair of lips crashing fiercely against his own, a tongue demanding entrance before licking into his mouth. The volume of the moan he let out wasn't even on purpose. Clover kissed down Qrow's jaw, biting his neck and nibbling on his earlobe, letting out desperate possessive growls that sent shivers down Qrow's spine, one hand clutching tightly at Qrow's thigh while other pushed up his t-shirt. Holy shit.

“I always knew you were cute as hell,” Clover whispered with a salacious little chuckle. “But I had no idea you could be so fucking _bad_.”

Qrow couldn't help the giddy laughter that escaped him as he held Clover closer. “Oh, you have no idea.”

Qrow was already in heaven.


	8. Always Wanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow finally has Clover, just like he's always wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go me for finishing another chapter! And it didn't take me a whole year this time!
> 
> And it's the one with all the smut. Yes, this entire chapter is just one long sex scene. And it's the longest chapter I've written for this whole fic. 
> 
> This fic has been living in my head rent free lately, especially my Qrow. I've written so many headcanons and I have no idea how to work any of them into the actual story, but I basically know my Qrow's entire backstory now. But I still don't know how this fic is going to end. Whoops.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the smut!

“Wow, you are.... God, you're so beautiful.”

Qrow laughed as he threw his t-shirt aside. “Am I now?”

“Absolutely,” said Clover, licking his lips as he let his hands roam over Qrow's bare chest. His hands lingered on all the tattoos he had never seen before, his fingertips brushing teasingly against nipples he'd had no idea were pierced. There was so much about Qrow he couldn't wait to explore. “You have no idea how sexy you are.”

“I have _some_ idea,” Qrow said with a smirk.

Clover chuckled as he leaned down to nuzzle Qrow's neck, kisses soon turning into gentle nibbles, then not so gentle bites that made Qrow gasp and arch his back in pleasure. It was so much. How was it already _so much?_ He leaned his head back against the pillow, giving Clover plenty of room to bite and suck on his skin. And fuck yes, that was exactly what Qrow wanted. He wanted Clover to mark him up, he wanted proof all over his skin that this wasn't just an incredibly vivid dream.

“I've always wanted to do this,” Clover whispered, laving his tongue over a fresh lovebite, his voice an octave deeper than usual. “I've always wanted to cover this gorgeous neck in hickeys... see you all cute and embarrassed, trying to cover them up the next day.”

“Fuck that,” Qrow scoffed, rolling his hips up against the other man. “I wanna show them off. Wear my lowest cut V-neck, make sure _everyone_ sees your handiwork.”

Clover let out another animalistic growl, his hips bucking hard against Qrow involuntarily as he pulled him into another searing kiss. Qrow let out a needy whine, letting Clover take complete control with a shiver of excitement. This side of Clover – so rough and possessive – was something Qrow could only imagine in his wildest, filthiest fantasies. So to actually be experiencing it first hand, to be held down under the weight of this absolute Adonis of a man, being kissed breathless, wrists pinned above his head in one strong hand, hickeys already darkening on his neck... it was _so much_.

Qrow kind of had a thing about being dominated. Not all the time, and it wasn't like he was incapable of taking the lead when he felt like it, but he tended to default to ‘needy little sub’ during sex. However, given his abysmal taste in partners over the years, it wasn't a side of himself he got to fully enjoy very often. A lot of guys who called themselves Doms just tended to be controlling assholes, much like a certain ex who Qrow didn't want to think about right now. Being selfish, uncaring, degrading, disrespecting boundaries, being too rough or too mean, not knowing when to keep that shit in the bedroom – there was always _something_. Eventually Qrow just accepted his fate, that he'd never find anyone he was compatible with.

But this. This was different. Clover was kissing him so hard, but so carefully, holding him down in a way that felt amazing but Qrow could very easily get out of if he wanted to. Qrow didn’t want to get his hopes up too high, but maybe...

"Let me take care of you, baby.”

Oh. _Oh_. Qrow nearly came in his pants just from just that, from those words whispered against his lips with so much want and promise. He nodded, too breathless to speak.

Clover kissed his way down Qrow's chest, his tongue tracing tattoos, lingering over nipple piercings, teeth nipping at flushed skin as he made his way down to the waistband of Qrow's pyjama bottoms. Qrow raised his hips slightly to make it easier for Clover to pulled them off, feeling like a gift being impatiently unwrapped. He really didn't have the brain cells left to feel embarrassed by how rock hard he already was, his cock leaking all over his stomach – not when Clover was sucking another collection of hickeys all over his inner thigh like that. All Qrow could really do was moan.

“So beautiful,” Clover murmured, pressing wet kisses against the edge of the tattoo on Qrow's thigh. “God, you're so beautiful like this, Qrow...”

Qrow gasped, toes curling and back arching in pleasure, when Clover suddenly dragged his tongue across the length of Qrow's cock, lapping up drops of pre-come with a pleased little sigh. Clover wasted no time, taking all of the beautiful cock in front of him in his mouth right down to the root, groaning around its girth as Qrow grabbed two handfuls of his hair in surprise.

“Clover, holy fuck!” Qrow yelled as Clover began to suck him off in earnest. Maybe he yelled a little too loud, but he really didn't care.

Clover's mouth was heavenly, that wet heat and that talented tongue were surely going to drive Qrow insane. He glanced down for a second and immediately had to look away with another loud curse – the sight of those lips stretched around him and those piercing teal eyes staring right at him... it was way too much, like trying to look at the sun, this was all _so much_.

“Please... Cloves...” Qrow begged, trying and failing not to thrust up into that glorious mouth. “Oh fuck, I'm not gonna last... oh God, please fuck me, Clover... please...”

Clover moaned around Qrow's cock, swirling his tongue one last time before pulling off with a pop. He looked up with Qrow with dark, lust filled eyes, and Qrow felt like he was about to be eaten alive. “You know I can't say no to a request like that, baby. Not when you ask so nicely.”

Qrow scrambled over to his bedside cabinet to fish out a bottle of lube and a condom, chucking them impatiently as Clover.

“No need to rush! We do have all night, you know,” Clover laughed, before looking at the half empty bottle of lube in his hand with an arched eyebrow. “Looks like this is been getting a lot of use, huh? I'm flattered.”

Qrow wasn't sure if he was blushing from embarrassment or from the fresh rush of arousal caused by watching Clover throw off his lounge pants – goddamn, he really did have the most gorgeous cock though. “Okay listen, smartass. I've had to let off a lot of steam since I moved in. Y'know, since you insist on looking so fucking hot all the time.”

“You're so cute when you're trying to be mad at me,” said Clover, looking both adorably fond and completely devilish as he slicked up his fingers and teased Qrow's entrance.

In what felt like no time at all Clover was three fingers deep, twisting and stretching just right, and Qrow was already a mess. That fingertip brushing teasingly against his prostate was going to be the actual death of him, but every time he tried to tell Clover to _please_ just hurry up all the left his mouth was a low moan, a desperate whimper, or a shakily whispered “... _fuck_.”

“You ready for me, Qrow?”

He nodded feverishly, his long legs trying to grab and pull Clover closer to him. Clover lined up and entered him in one swift motion, already failing to keep his composure as they were finally connected. Qrow pulled Clover into a messy kiss, as Clover held onto each of Qrow's thighs to spread him open just right and began to move, both of them groaning into each other's mouths.

There was no starting slow, they were way passed that. As much as Clover would have loved to savour every second, once Qrow tugged on a handful of his hair and sucked on his bottom lip, he was a goner. Qrow’s mind was delightfully blank, nothing in the entire world mattered but Clover fucking him, Clover beautiful cock filling him up, Clover's mouth sucking more marks on his neck and hands holding him tight enough to bruise, nothing but everything he had always wanted.

Qrow was only dimly aware of how much noise they were both making. The headboard was hitting wall, the bed was creaking under them, the sound of skin slapping against skin was only slightly drowned out by both their cries of pleasure. He never wanted this to end, but he was so close already – how was he _so close_ already? It was all so much, so _perfect,_ he just wanted to get lost in this.

“Oh fuck, Cloves, I'm gonna... can I... please can I come? Please, please...”

Clover pinned both of Qrow's wrists above his head in one hand again, his other hand reaching between them to stroke Qrow's leaking cock. “Fuck yes, of course you can, baby... let me see you come for me...”

With full body shudder and silent scream, Qrow tumbled over the edge. His orgasm took him apart at the seams, rocked through him like a goddamn earthquake – he couldn't remember the last time he had come this hard. Clover didn't take his eyes off Qrow's face, watching in awe, his own release not far behind as he gruffly moaned Qrow's name over and over again.

They collapsed in a sweaty heap, the bedsheets tangled around them, planting lazy kisses on whatever bit of skin they could reach as they tried to catch their breath. Qrow couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He let Clover gather him up in his arms, neither of them caring about the mess, not caring about anything. They didn't even need to speak, Qrow just wanted to enjoy finally being with Clover like this, just like he had always wanted...

Suddenly they were startled by loud banging against the wall.

“Don't even think about going for round two, you horny bastards! I'm trying to fucking sleep!”

Qrow and Clover looked at each other in surprise, before at the same time bursting into a fit of giggles.

Qrow had _completely_ forgotten about Raven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sidenote, I realised while writing this chapter that I could give Qrow tattoos because he hasn't had his shirt off for this whole fic and I never said that he DIDN'T have tattoos. So I made a list of all the tattoos he has. And I drew some fanart. 
> 
> geniaparadox.tumblr.com/post/643769791937757184/modern-au-qrow-branwen
> 
> My phone won't let me post a proper link, but yeah. Drop a comment and I'll tell you all about his tattoos, because I am dying to tell someone.


	9. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow enjoys waking up, for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this chapter is basically just an excuse to tell you what tattoos Qrow has in this AU. The concept has been living in my head rent free. I'm drawing more fanart of it. I cannot be stopped. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for all the kudos and comments! It's a relief to know that people still care about this fic, even though I still have no idea where I'm going with this.

“Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up, babe.”

The Branwens were not morning people. Qrow purposely only worked closing shifts so that he would never have to be awake in the actual morning. In fact, without the regular routine of having to go to work, Qrow would basically be nocturnal. Clover, on the other hand, woke up at 6am every day to go for his morning run, including on his days off, like an absolute monster. He was considerate enough to keep the noise to a minimum out of respect for his roommate, but it was usual for him to have been awake and productive for several hours before Qrow managed to drag himself out of bed.

Which was why Qrow was so surprised to find himself awake at around 7.30, his head resting on a solid chest and a hand stroking up and down his back. Morning sunlight streaked through his curtains, bathing the room in warm light, and his first instinct was to curl up closer to that big warm body. Clover was finally in his bed – _actually_ , in real life – and he wanted to savour every second of it, preferably conscious. He pressed his face against Clover's chest, holding him tighter and breathing in the smell of him, and the hand on his back stopped for just a second.

“You can go back to sleep if you want,” Clover whispered apologetically.

“S'kay,” Qrow mumbled drowsily. “I don't mind.”

The steady rhythm of Clover’s heartbeat under his ear was so soothing. Clover reached for Qrow's hand, bringing it up to his face so he could press a gentle kiss to his palm, while Clover's other hand resumed tracing the outlines of the ink on Qrow's back. This was such a nice way to wake up. Qrow could really get used to mornings like this, especially right after a night like _that_. Holy shit, that had really happened...

“I never knew you had so many tattoos,” Clover said quietly. “I wanted to say something last night, but I was... _distracted_.” They both chuckled at that. “They're beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Qrow said with a sigh, his voice rough with sleep. “There's a bunch more that I want. I'm hoping to have a whole sleeve one day, but, y'know... money.”

“Do they have any important meanings?”

Qrow shrugged one shoulder, stifling a yawn. “Not really. Most are just stuff I thought was cool.”

“So these wings on your back?” Clover's touch was so soft as he traced the detailed feathers, almost reverent.

“I thought they were cool,” said Qrow simply. “Took forever to finish. There's no _deep_ and _personal_ meaning behind one of the wings being broken, I literally just thought the design was really fucking cool.”

Clover laughed softly, and his gentle touch moved to Qrow's bicep. “And this symbol here?”

“The logo for my favourite band. That's one's an oldie.”

Clover’s fingertips moved down Qrow's arm, and Qrow squirmed from how ticklish it felt. “And this feather?”

“Another oldie,” Qrow whispered, enjoying the attention. “Got it before my back piece. It was kinda the inspiration.”

Clover moved the bedsheets out of the way, his hand slipping down to the dip of Qrow's lower back. “What about this cute little bird?”

It was way too early in the morning for Qrow to be blushing already. “It's not _cute_ , it's a crow! Raven called it a tramp stamp when I got it, and I've kinda hated it ever since.”

“Well, _I_ like it,” Clover chuckled, carefully moving Qrow to lie on his back. “What about this big one right over your heart?”

“I designed this one myself,” said Qrow, smiling at the fond look in Clover's eyes. “A tribute to the Grimm Reaper, the greatest guitarist of all time. I've been a total fanboy my whole life, I ever met her I'd probably cry.”

Clover laughed again, pressing a kiss to the tattoo in question as his hand slipped down to the shattered moon on his waist. Qrow shivered from the touch, feeling more awake with every passing second. This was the best possible way to be woken up.

“And what about this one?” said Clover, and his voice had no business sounding so sultry.

“I just... I thought it was cool,” Qrow replied breathlessly.

“And these?” Clover asked, clearly enjoying himself as his hands moved to the two swallows framing just below Qrow's navel. “Let me guess. You thought they'd look sexy? Because I definitely do.”

Qrow nodded, his face getting even redder as Clover's intoxicating touch moved to the words on his thigh – _No one's Blessing_ written in a fancy script.

“And this?” Clover asked. “Not exactly the words I would use to describe you, babe.”

Qrow laughed quietly, a little flustered by the compliment. “Just song lyrics. That one's also pretty old.”

Clover took Qrow's right hand, admiring the neat little star on the back of his thumb. “Now come on, you _can't_ deny that this one’s cute.”

“Funny story. That one was the first tattoo I ever got, when I was like seventeen. It was back at Beacon, Summer had just taught herself how to do stick and pokes and I was the only one who’d let her practice on them. Not bad for something a teenager did, right?”

“Not bad at all,” said Clover, pressing his lips to the tattoo. “And what about these flowers on your wrist? I've always thought they look really pretty.”

Qrow was definitely awake now, but the blush burning his cheeks was no longer from arousal. This whole morning was far too pleasant to bring down with as heavy a subject as the story behind his most recent ink, so he chose his words carefully. “The rose is for Summer and the sunflower is for Taiyang. They're like my family, so I wanted to get something for them. I know it's lame as shit, but they're my best friends, so... I mean...”

“It's not lame,” Clover said, with so much sincerity in his eyes that Qrow almost had to look away. “I think it's sweet. I think you're a very sweet person, Qrow Branwen. And a beautiful work of art.”

“Shut up, boy scout,” Qrow scoffed, playfully shoving the other man away as he rolled his eyes. They had literally had sex the night before and he _still_ couldn't take a compliment from Clover.

Once they finally got out of bed they took a shower together, nearly using up all the hot water in the process. Now that they knew the other wasn't faking it, now that they both knew this was _real_ , they just couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other. The flood gates had opened, and Qrow couldn't remember the last time he had felt so utterly and completely happy.

When they had managed to tear themselves away from each other, they got dressed and Clover started cooking some pancakes for breakfast. Remembering his words from the night before, Qrow purposely wore his lowest cut oversized black V-neck, and amused himself by lounging against the kitchen counter, casually leaning his head back to really show off all the hickeys on his neck. It was wonderful to have Clover be the blushing, flustered mess for a change.

“You're so bad,” Clover muttered, stealing glances at Qrow's neck as he tried to focus on cooking. “If I end up burning this apartment down, it's gonna be all your fault.”

Qrow smirked, stepping behind Clover to wrap his arms around his waist and nuzzle his neck. “What? I'm not doing anything. If I remember correctly, it was _you_ who was so eager to mark me up last night... and earlier in the shower. You only have yourself to blame for being so distracted.”

Clover shook his head, unable to stop himself from grinning as he flipped another slightly misshapen pancake onto a plate. “You are so, so bad.”

Qrow giggled – actually fucking _giggled_ – as he slipped his hand up the front of Clover's t-shirt, caressing those perfect abs that he couldn't get enough of, as he pressed teasing kisses on the back of Clover's neck and nibbled on his earlobe. 

“Oh, for fuck sake, get off each other!”

Qrow and Clover jumped apart, both struggling not to laugh out loud at the interruption. Once again, Qrow had completely forgotten that Raven was here.

How did that keep happening?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still trying to figure out exactly where this story is going... have patience with me, folks. It's a marathon, not a sprint. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated.


End file.
